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Howdy folks. Sorry for the long delay on this. The first wave of letters finally went out today. I'm targeting government officials and state agency reps at the moment. I think my next step will be to reach out to fly clubs and shops to see if I can get some added lobbying muscle. In case you're interested, here's the text from the letter I sent out:
To Whom It May Concern:
As you may know, the Cedar River is a unique "urban" river that offers visitors a convenient oasis of outdoor recreation as it winds through a number of well-developed areas of King County. In addition to swimming, tubing, and wildlife viewing, the Cedar River provides convenient sport fishing opportunities during its short summer fishing season. As an avid fly fisherman and Renton resident, I am one of many people who look forward to the summer months when I can fish for trout just minutes from my front door. However, that convenience means the Cedar sees a lot of fishing pressure and not all anglers abide by the selective gear rules that are in place for that river. I hope you will be able to help me combat this problem by advocating for installing signs along the river that clearly explain the fishing regulations to the public.
Illegal fishing seems to be a pervasive problem on the Cedar. I often find empty bait containers along the banks and in trash cans at popular access points. Few seem to make much effort to hide their activities. For example, I recently met an angler on the river who readily admitted to catching 20-30 trout in two hours using worms. I was surprised when he freely admitted to using bait without being asked. I imagine he either thought he was doing nothing wrong, or that there was virtually no chance he would be caught and cited. (A few days later, I found a dead rainbow trout with a hook and baitworm embedded in its gills in the same pool he had been fishing. That discovery is what prompted me to write this letter.) Not all illegal anglers admit to using bait so freely, but when I do mention the rules they almost always plead ignorance. I am sure many of those individuals actually know better, but it is possible that some of them do not. Washington's fishing regulations are notoriously complicated and some people may simply see other people fishing the river and assume it is open to all methods.
To combat the ignorance problem, I would like to see signs posted along the river that clearly explain the fishing regulations in place. To my knowledge, no such signage presently exists. Signs will help to educate the public as to what forms of fishing are permitted and may discourage some people who would otherwise claim ignorance to justify their actions. The signs will need to be durable so that they can withstand inevitable vandalism and large or numerous enough to be seen by most river users.
Other states have found signage to be a worthwhile endeavor. When I proposed the signage idea to other fly anglers, a few individuals pointed me to examples from their home states. Below are two examples from Idaho and Colorado:
Example 1: Northern Idaho
[Image clipped]
Example 2: Colorado:
[Image clipped]
I understand that no amount of signage or threat of punishment will stop all poachers and gear violators. However, if signs can make even a small difference by making the regulations more visible, installing them would be worth it. The Cedar River is a valuable resource to our community but, unfortunately, it is as fragile as it is beautiful. We should do all we can to protect it for future generations.
I have been in touch with a number of anglers, fly shops, and fishing organizations who are interested in assisting with this project. Whether it be fundraising, providing public input, or assisting with placing the signs, I am confident that the local fishing community will be willing and eager to help accomplish this goal.
I look forward to hearing from you about your own ideas on how we can move this project forward, as well as what challenges you foresee that could hold it back. Please feel free to contact me via the phone number or email address at the top of this letter. Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider my suggestions.
Sincerely,
Stephen J. Farquhar, Jr.
As you may know, the Cedar River is a unique "urban" river that offers visitors a convenient oasis of outdoor recreation as it winds through a number of well-developed areas of King County. In addition to swimming, tubing, and wildlife viewing, the Cedar River provides convenient sport fishing opportunities during its short summer fishing season. As an avid fly fisherman and Renton resident, I am one of many people who look forward to the summer months when I can fish for trout just minutes from my front door. However, that convenience means the Cedar sees a lot of fishing pressure and not all anglers abide by the selective gear rules that are in place for that river. I hope you will be able to help me combat this problem by advocating for installing signs along the river that clearly explain the fishing regulations to the public.
Illegal fishing seems to be a pervasive problem on the Cedar. I often find empty bait containers along the banks and in trash cans at popular access points. Few seem to make much effort to hide their activities. For example, I recently met an angler on the river who readily admitted to catching 20-30 trout in two hours using worms. I was surprised when he freely admitted to using bait without being asked. I imagine he either thought he was doing nothing wrong, or that there was virtually no chance he would be caught and cited. (A few days later, I found a dead rainbow trout with a hook and baitworm embedded in its gills in the same pool he had been fishing. That discovery is what prompted me to write this letter.) Not all illegal anglers admit to using bait so freely, but when I do mention the rules they almost always plead ignorance. I am sure many of those individuals actually know better, but it is possible that some of them do not. Washington's fishing regulations are notoriously complicated and some people may simply see other people fishing the river and assume it is open to all methods.
To combat the ignorance problem, I would like to see signs posted along the river that clearly explain the fishing regulations in place. To my knowledge, no such signage presently exists. Signs will help to educate the public as to what forms of fishing are permitted and may discourage some people who would otherwise claim ignorance to justify their actions. The signs will need to be durable so that they can withstand inevitable vandalism and large or numerous enough to be seen by most river users.
Other states have found signage to be a worthwhile endeavor. When I proposed the signage idea to other fly anglers, a few individuals pointed me to examples from their home states. Below are two examples from Idaho and Colorado:
Example 1: Northern Idaho
[Image clipped]
Example 2: Colorado:
[Image clipped]
I understand that no amount of signage or threat of punishment will stop all poachers and gear violators. However, if signs can make even a small difference by making the regulations more visible, installing them would be worth it. The Cedar River is a valuable resource to our community but, unfortunately, it is as fragile as it is beautiful. We should do all we can to protect it for future generations.
I have been in touch with a number of anglers, fly shops, and fishing organizations who are interested in assisting with this project. Whether it be fundraising, providing public input, or assisting with placing the signs, I am confident that the local fishing community will be willing and eager to help accomplish this goal.
I look forward to hearing from you about your own ideas on how we can move this project forward, as well as what challenges you foresee that could hold it back. Please feel free to contact me via the phone number or email address at the top of this letter. Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider my suggestions.
Sincerely,
Stephen J. Farquhar, Jr.
